The Palais du Pharo hosts congresses, conventions, general assemblies, plenary sessions, exhibitions and institutional receptions, with seats for 900 in its main auditorium and room for 1,000 guests in its catering hall. It stands on the Pharo plateau at 58 boulevard Charles Livon, in Marseille's 7th arrondissement, at the entrance to the Vieux-Port, and is run by the City of Marseille as a congress center.
Seminars and company events
The center offers about 7,000 m² of event space. Large conferences use the main auditorium, with 900 seats, and the Salle La Major, which takes up to 280 people for presentations or a second plenary. Meeting rooms for 10 to 90 people serve workshops, technical meetings and subcommittees, and the two salons in the historic building take institutional receptions and meetings of up to 200 people each. The center records about 245 days of occupation and 59,000 congress delegates on its home page, which gives an idea of its experience with large professional meetings. Organisers find technical documents and references in a dedicated section of the official site.
Rooms and capacities
The main auditorium seats 900. Salle La Major takes up to 280. The Espace Vieux-Port is a modular space for up to 1,000 people, used for catering, delegate reception and event logistics. The exhibition floor covers 1,800 m² and can hold stands, exhibition routes and information areas. Two reception salons in the historic palace hold up to 200 each. On the ground floor the site names the Salle Eugénie, the Salle Frioul and the Salon Jaune. On the first floor it lists the Espace Petit Saint-Jean, the Foyer Phar'Club and the Salles Estaque, Grand Large, Joliette, Lacydon and Saint-Jean. The 2013 extension added 12 rooms of up to 120 participants each.
Accommodation
There are no bedrooms on site. The center states that more than 800 hotel rooms lie nearby, and its site links to the Marseille tourist office's booking service for delegates.
Catering
Meals and breaks are served in the Espace Vieux-Port, which takes up to 1,000 guests. The official site does not name a caterer.
History and setting
The decision to build an imperial residence in Marseille dates from Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte's visit in September 1852. The city bought the land on the Pharo plateau and offered it in 1855, and the first stone was laid on August 15, 1858. When the 1870 revolution broke out, the building was almost finished but never furnished. After a legal procedure the property returned to Empress Eugénie, who gave it to the city. It housed a school of medicine from 1904, when its wings were raised. The congress center opened in 1997, and a city renovation from 2012 led to new spaces in 2013, including the restaurant hall for 1,000.
Getting there
The palace sits at the mouth of the Vieux-Port, on boulevard Charles Livon, a short distance from the center of Marseille. Marseille Saint-Charles station and Marseille Provence Airport serve delegates arriving from farther away. Requests go to the center's team by phone, email or its online form.
